<<CanYouFeelTheFireGrowing>> [Part II]

Sobs were the only sound on the high-speed rail as the cars hurled through the countryside towards Sapporo.

“Why are they taking us all the way here?!” Miu cried out as she looked at the distant sight of their home curving out of perspective.

“Why would they-”

Before she could say anything else, the great explosion appeared. No one even dared to gasp as the god killing inferno returned to the world. Yuki saw the first light and the rising dome of wrath and felt his heart stop as his stomach locked.

No one spoke, but everyone knew what it was.

It was far away, but the glow was still bright enough to turn the train’s metallic body translucent for a moment.

“Oh gods. Oh gods. EVERYONE DOWN!!” Yuki screamed out.

The shockwave was coming, and he prayed their train would not be hurled into fiery oblivion.

“Everyone brace!!” Miu screamed as she pulled Yuki down and threw herself over his body.

Seconds lasted lifetimes as the fireball mushroomed and rose into the sky. Miu dared to look. Even from this range, she saw the treeline ripping upwards as the blast approached.

“I love you, Yuki,” she whispered as her fingers dug into his body.

“I love you,” he replied as he wrapped her against him with every muscle in his body.

“Cover your ears,” Yuki whispered as he accepted that this was likely their end.

At first, the only sound was the incessant beeping of the sirens and phone alerts.

Then it was upon them.

There was a monstrous roar, then the blast hit them on their broadside. Every window shattered instantly, and the exposed side of the train bent inwards. Every soul onboard screamed out for mercy and salvation. But the train did not flip. Instead, waves of glowing energy surged across the entirety of the car as the Arcan levitation system pulled itself back into position with a lurch.

A cataclysmic curtain of debris and death roared towards them, but the shining waves of protection burned and ebbed, keeping them all alive. Miu’s eye began to glow with the ferocity of a small fire, but she didn’t notice. All she and Yuki could do was watch the magical barrier shielding them from mankind’s murderous intent.

Then it was over.

In the distance, the hydrogen bomb’s cloud was already several kilometers tall. By the time they were near Sapporo, it was the only thing visible in the sky beyond the swirling, neon red clouds.

The train came to a stop amidst thousands of screams of confusion. What was supposed to be a safe destination seemed even more chaotic.

Miu and Yuki were pulled from the safety of the car and out onto the station platform, where a new Hell awaited them.

Every mountain was ablaze. Skyscraper-sized glyphs spun through the sky, casting their white and blue glow onto the world below.

More voices spoke unknown words across the wind. Crystal rainfall tore through canopies and metal alike.

Even more terrifying for the two children was the emergence of more shards. Just like Christmas morning two years ago. Only now the shards were moving like waves. They were visibly flowing and consuming anything in their path. Every object, structure, and being that was touched was immediately transformed into crystalline form.

“I don’t want this. I don’t want this. I don’t want us here,” Miu whimpered as she pulled Yuki back towards the train.

But it was already leaving the station.

“No!!” Miu cried out just as artillery fire ignited the world just above them.

Weapon fire threatened to silence their hearing forever as thousands of rounds of automatic sentry turrets were spat out like hellfire towards unseen targets.

“WHERE ARE WE SUPPOSED TO GO?!!” Miu screamed.

Yuki checked the still beeping phone, but there was no guidance.

“It doesn’t say?!!” he cried out.

More red-hot shells began to fall around them, causing both of them to scream in horror and cover their bodies. Panic and instinct seized Miu, and she began to run. They had no direction or destination. Hell was here, and they were caught in its mouth. Their only hope was to run and never stop. Yuki’s hands clasped Hana and the backpack for dear life as the two of them fled the calamity.

Sapporo TV Tower was up ahead. Its second rung was still projected the time out into the warzone below. Enormous red digital numerals called out that it was 3:33 in the morning. Daggers of exhaustion stabbed into Miu’s side as she ran towards the tower’s steel sanctuary.

For a moment, Miu considered that tower to be their destination. That was until the wave of shard energy burst out from behind the nearby office buildings and rushed directly towards the enormous tower. In a single instant, the once metal structure was changed into crystal. Every rivet and beam was changed until nothing remained but mystical gemstone.

Miu froze in wonder and terror as the wave continued past the tower and out towards a park nearby.

The new structure glowed softly and pink, and it almost felt calming in the middle of the chaos.

But then the mortar rounds struck.

Stray bursts of military ammunition struck the trees and ground around them, hurling the two children apart. Shrapnel tore into Miu’s side and leg as her body was flung a dozen meters away. Earth’s merciless embrace greeted her with the violence of a punch as she toppled over herself and rolled backwards. There was a snap, and her hand was suddenly facing the wrong direction. Agony tore through her body once more as she came to a stop at the base of the tower’s steps.

“YUKI?!!!” Miu screamed as she tried to get up.

“MIU!!!!” he cried from nearby.

Unsteady legs lifted Miu and guided her towards his voice. In the midst of the flames, she was able to see his body up ahead.

He was crawling towards her.

“MIU, I’M HERE! I’M HERE!!” he called out.

“I’M COMING, YUKI!!” Miu screamed as she dragged her body forward.

"I'M-"

It happened fast. The sky turned bright once more, and there was a whirring hiss overhead as something rushed down directly towards them. Both Miu and Yuki looked up to see the tracer burning in the sky. Yuki’s head turned down in shocked acceptance, and Miu could see his eyes illuminated in the flames.

“Miu…” was all he could say as the munition struck right beside him.

Fire and debris exploded out instantly as Miu tried to scream, but was struck by clay and stone. Once more, she was being thrown through the sky. Her body struck the tower’s nearest leg with a crunch. Consciousness left her instantly. Darkness covered every aspect of thought, and the spot where Yuki’s body had been was left as nothing but a crater.